WATCH: Craig Williams’ raw and emotional Ukraine visit revealed

Champion jockey Craig Williams has revealed for the first time remarkable vision of the humanitarian aid work in the Ukraine by he and wife Larysa.

Melbourne Cup winner Craig Williams has released raw and emotional video footage of his most recent trip to war-torn Ukraine, including the sad scenes when his wife saw a photograph of a family member whose life had been taken.

Champion jockey Williams has given News Corp permission to publish the six and a half minute video where he and wife Larysa, along with fellow jockey Andrew Mallyon, provided humanitarian aid.

One of the most confronting parts of the video is when Ukrainian-born Larysa comes across a picture of her second cousin, whose life was taken in the conflict.

“What I didn’t expect was to see my second cousin’s picture, I knew his life was taken, I hate this place,” Larysa says, when seeing the picture, near a monastery.

In another scene, Williams is in a food mall in Kyiv when an air-raid siren goes off and he is forced to evacuate and head to a bunker for safety.

Williams told News Corp: “Ever since the Russian invasion has been going on, we have been able to raise over $2.5 million.

“With that money we take over trauma and medical kits and things that contribute to saving lives over there as well as essential supplies.

“On our most recent trip, we were only 20km from the frontline.

“We ended up being in a place where there were thousands of photos on the wall and Larysa’s second cousin was right there.

“It was one of these things that we didn’t know.”

Queensland-based jockey Mallyon has previously told News Corp that he went to Ukraine with Williams after gaining a medical qualification in trauma first response and being keen to put it to good use.

 

“I was attached to a group that provides essential supplies to Ukrainians in the most affected areas, they would operate close to the frontline and I was the medic in those operations,” Mallyon said.

“We had one incident when I had to treat a Ukrainian soldier who had quite a bad head injury and severe concussion.”

Williams says the trips to Ukraine put life into perspective for him.

After winning the $20 million The Everest last Saturday on Bella Nipotina, Williams is preparing to ride Group 1 champion Mr Brightside in Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

Originally published as WATCH: Craig Williams’ raw and emotional Ukraine visit revealed